May 29, 2024
Scientists have developed a prototype screen that softens and hardens in response to a user's touch.
Matt Sutton, University of Bath
Although DeformIO (as it is named) is still a prototype and will need at least 10 years of development before it can be handed over to a tech company and turned into a commercial product, its inventors at the University of Bath see it as a breakthrough technology.
They believe DeformIO has the potential to fundamentally change the way people interact with the world across sectors as diverse as commerce, communications, healthcare, and gaming.
For example, before purchasing online, future shoppers may be able to “touch” the fabric of a new sofa or “feel” the softness of pillows by simply pressing the display on DeformIO's phone.
Deformable screens could also change how users interact with files and apps on their devices: deleting a file, for example, might mean pressing the file icon until it hardens and eventually “pops” like a bubble.
“You directly manipulate digital objects in the same way that you would normally manipulate a physical object,” explained James Nash, a computer science graduate student at the University of Bath and lead author of the study.
Fixing the display
This isn't the first iteration of a deformable display, but previous models (made with either movable touchscreen panels or fixed pins) have relied on an array of raised “pins” underneath the display that lower parts of the screen when pressed, providing less continuity than DeformIO. Such technology creates abrupt breaks or steps between areas of the screen when pressure is applied.
Made from silicone, DeformIO works in an entirely new way, using air pressure and resistive sensing (a technology that converts physical force into an electrical signal) to detect pressure.
This technology allows users to press down on the screen and then move their finger across the surface, creating a natural, continuous movement.
“Our screens allow users to experience rich haptic feedback on soft surfaces,” Nash said.
“This offers the same benefits as glass screens today, where you can control your device by smoothly moving your finger across the surface, but with the added benefit of being able to use force to interact with your device on a deeper level.”
Another feature of DeformIO is that users can apply force to multiple areas on the screen simultaneously, and the display will distinguish between the levels of pressure applied and create degrees of softness depending on the force detected.
Professor Jason Alexander, a computer scientist at the University of Bath who has been working on deformable screens for the past decade and is leading the DeformIO research, says the 25cm x 25cm prototype, developed in his lab, was built “to explore the vision of a device with a screen that can be pushed through and pushed back”.
“We expect to see this concept in mobile phones in 10 to 20 years' time,” he said. “For now, we're just exploring what the best applications for this concept are.”
Some examples of applications of DeformIO include:
• Video games: For example, in a fighting scene, when the player presses an on-screen action button the display may deform, and when the opponent strikes back physical resistance may occur through the screen.
• Computer simulation for medical training: For example, medical students might be able to spot cysts that are invisible to the naked eye by palpating a screen.
• In-car touchscreens replace hard touchscreens: The deformable screen's hardness cues allow drivers to find buttons, slides and receive physical information without taking their eyes off the road.
• Remote “physical touch”: Two people on a video call will be able to make “physical touch” through the screen. When one person applies pressure with their finger on the screen, the person on the receiving end will see and feel an indentation on their own screen.
• Digital Maps: Users can switch between street view, satellite view, terrain view, and more, simply by varying the pressure of their finger.
Speaking of how DeformIO works with digital maps, Nash said: “You can get a huge amount of information from the maps. For example, you can press into a city and get instant demographic data, or you can press into a particular store and its level of firmness will tell you if it's open or not.”
The DeformIO display was introduced to the world this month at CHI 2024 (CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems), a leading international conference on human-computer interaction.
